Welcome to our list of favorite dining destinations in New York's Hudson Valley and Adirondack regions. We visit restaurants, wineries, barbecues, and a smattering of off the beaten path culinary destinations like maple sugar shacks and fromageries. My friends and I have been dining out together weekly for over twenty years. The locations we write about are our favorite destinations. We are not claiming they are the best, just our favorites. The posts are not "reviews" in the classic sense. - we offer only our picks, not pans. We will leave the criticism to others. We are a happy blog. We much prefer a good bistro to "haute cuisine", especially if they also have a nice bar. We prefer a crock of cassoulet and a bottle of Beaujolais to just about anything else. If you enjoy simple home style rustic cooking with a decent (but not too expensive) bottle of wine, then pull up a chair and join us.

This Month's "Well Said!"

"Remember that a very good sardine is always preferable to a not that good lobster."

Ferran Andria

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Turtle Island Cafe, Willsboro, NY

Turtle Island Cafe3790 Main Street, Willsboro, NY 518-963-7417WebsiteLunch: Friday though SundayDinner: Thursday through MondayRecently I received emails from two different readers suggesting a visit to the Turtle Island Cafe in Willsboro. (#HatTip to Jack and Mike. Many thanks!) The restaurant's website piqued our interest, offering hints of a kitchen committed to area farms, a most creative menu, and a serious wine list to boot. We took a detour from Blue Mountain Lake after last weekend's Rustic Antique Show at the Adirondack Museum, and headed for Lake Champlain.The restaurant is on Main Street, just past the bridge over the Boquet. It is an unassuming building, with a cluster of umbrella'd tables in front. Given the threatening weather we opted to eat inside. The entrance leads immediately into the dining room, packed cheek by jowl with tables. We grabbed a booth near the front window.Our waiter arrived lickety-split, and offered a wine list, a beer list, the regular lunch menu, and showed us the day's specials on a nearby blackboard.We were immediately faced with a number of decisions we were not expecting. After one look at the menus we knew that our late lunch was about to turn into our main meal for the day, complete with wines.

Apple and Gouda Sausage with Bean Chili and Cornbread Waffle

We started with apps and a bottle of 2008 Domaine de la Perriere Sancerre. I tried one of the lunch offerings - a grilled apple and gouda sausage with white bean chili and cornbread waffle ($8.99). This item also appears on the dinner menu as an appetizer. The aroma of this dish arrived a few seconds before my waiter placed it in front of me. A peppery herb scented mirepoix formed the base for a delightful bean stew, plated with slices of a savory corn bread waffle and a large link of the sausage. It was a combination of flavors that I never could have conjured up without help, and it was just fantastic, especially with the Sancerre. The French onion soup ($6.99) was just as good, the traditional broth spiked with chunks of apples. Our friends tried the Turtle Wings ($7.99) which combined chicken wings and roasted potato wedges, tossed is a piquant BBQ sauce. They also selected an order of crab cakes ($9.99). The savory crab mixture was nicely grilled and plated with an Asian style slaw, and accompanied by a chili garlic aioli. At this point we moved on to a bottle of 2009 Aquinas Pinot Noir from Don Sebastiani and Sons. Around this time we also started wondering - who are these people and what are they doing in Willsboro NY? It turns out that the circuitous route that the chef proprietor - one David Martin - took to get here explains a lot. As is often the case, the story starts at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park. His culinary CV also includes a stint working with Greg Taylor at Chestertown's Friends Lake Inn. That, at least in part, might explain the great wine list. (Friends Lake has one of the best wine lists in the region). Most recently Chef Martin was running the kitchen for Jerry Bottcher at The Hungry Trout on the Ausable in Wilmington, which might explain why he likes restaurants on rivers.

Braised Elk Stew with Egg Noodles

We moved on to entrees. A special of elk stew was on the blackboard. Elk is the mildest of the venison meats and braising really brings out the flavor. Coupled with buttery egg noodles, this dish was another standout. As good as the stew was, I made my table-mates try the noodles. Definitely made in house, the savory Piemonte style ribbons were the highlight of this dish. We also tried a classic New England Lobster Roll, blended with mayo and served with the appropriate New England sliced bun, and an organic green salad for $12.99. A plate of chicken bacon and Vermont cheddar wrap ($9.99) was just as good the next day when I finished the leftovers.I'm not sure how we made room for dessert, but a special offering of wild berry tart was too good to pass up. Likewise the creme brulee, which was nicely caramelized before serving, and it complemented the shared tart perfectly.On the way back to Schroon Lake we tried to come up with reasons to come back to Willsboro very soon. (Counting salmon in the Bouquet fish ladder was my favorite.) The restaurant's kitchen showcases a playful creativity with the menu, but still grounded in classic techniques. The setting and the service is thoughtful and professional, but also most casual and friendly. It is definitely a cafe, without any pretense or formalities. And that is just the way we like it.We will definitely add the The Turtle Island Cafe to our list of Adirondack favorites.

If you do stop in please let our other readers know about your visit in the comments section.I hope you'll "Like" Rambler on Facebook

1 comment:

Anonymous
said...

My parents are from Willsboro and frequent the Tutle Island Cafe. I don't think I ever heard a negative comment about it, in fact, they are usually raving about it! They have many times gone there on a holiday and Dave comes up with some very unique and delicious meals to accomodate those who are not celebrating elsewhere. Back in the 80's this location was the Willsboro Pharmacy and my brother and I would stop in armed with our allowance searching through the penny candy and magazines to entertain us for the weekend, so the location brings back some nostalgia for me; I'm thinking of finally stopping in for a meal next time I'm there after reading your review!

About the Author

Adirondack guide, fly-fisher, rustic bread baker, food & wine blogger. In a former life I wrote for Hudson Valley Magazine and the Poughkeepsie Journal's "Dining Out" column. My culinary adventures are chronicled on North Country Rambler, which focuses on New York's Hudson Valley and Adirondack regions. I also have a real job. On Twitter @NCntryRambler

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Full Disclosure

North Country Rambler is a personal blog about our favorite dining destinations in "upstate" New York. Posts are not intended to be "critiques" or "reviews" in the classic sense. We do not criticize any establishments (at least not intentionally). If we do not like a venue, you will not read about it here. We only write about the restaurants that we enjoy. We do not accept any advertising on the blog, we pay for all of our own meals, and we do not accept any remuneration from any establishments mentioned in the blog, unless we can drink said remuneration before we leave.